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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

It's all about story by Joanne Hill

Last week I gave a presentation at a Library
Association conference to fellow librarians and no surprises, it was on romance
novels. Boy, can I talk about that subject. Not just on romance,
though, but on the evolving world of publishing as we go more and more digital. Naturally, there were lots of pretty retro pictures in the powerpoint!

One of the things I touched on was how even a couple of
years ago I'd never have imagined I could possibly read a novel on my phone. (Seriously, a phone??!) I have a Kindle and of course there's the laptop but I really don't mind the tinsy screen as much as I thought I might.

Recently a friend who ran a book store for several decadessaid that she never, ever believed she would
read ebooks. She sold books, worked in the industry for many years, and like all
of us she just loved the smell and the feel of holding a brand new book in her hand. There is something magical about that. But now she's a convert to digital. As she says, she never loses a book anymore. Ten years ago the idea we might not even have print
books was enough to make me hyperventilate but now it's like, if that happens then yes, it would be
sad, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Not like I once thought it would be.

That's because in the end it's all about the story. About the plot and the characters and of course with our genre, the HEA. The method to read the
story might change over time, but it doesn't really matter because when you want to wallow in a good story, its the contentment of reading that compelling story that counts - whether its in print, digital, an audio book - or some other format no one's even invented yet! What about you? What formats do you read in?

Joanne's newest book is "The Return of Gabe McLeod", a sweet romance set in small town New Zealand and now on Amazon.

I still hoard books. I only started reading e-books in the last two years, most of them on my phone when I'm waiting in line somewhere or on the bus. Great for travel, but I'm still addicted to the smell of books, the feel of them. When I remember favorite passages, I see them on the page, which side of the book, how far down and which hand was holding more of the book. It's a visual and tactile experience. Love my e-books, but they can't replace my books!